You’ve been loyal to our brand, honest with your feedback, and trusted us. We’ve really appreciated your support and loyalty over the years. You spoke, and we listened.

On Wednesday, John Chen sent out an open letter aimed at current and former BlackBerry users. The message was simple: The things that you remember and loved about BlackBerry that kept you securely connected, productive, and made you better, are better than ever with the BlackBerry Classic.

We’re excited to bring you this device, and judging by the responses we’ve seen after we made our first announcement about the Classic, it’s clear you are too:

The response online has been positive, and we’re beyond excited to share more with you. To stay up to date on availability information and news about the BlackBerry Classic, head over to BlackBerry.com/classic and sign up today.

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/11/users-want-classic/feed/0Classic Reactions Featuremimitchell123456BBM Team Asks: What is your Worst/Best #WishICouldRetract momenthttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/10/bbm-asks-retracts-moments/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/10/bbm-asks-retracts-moments/#commentsFri, 31 Oct 2014 17:19:13 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=22616/ Read More]]>We’ve all been there: that all-blood-rushing-to-your-face moment when you’ve realized that you’ve sent your message to the wrong person. Luckily, with the latest version of BBM, you can now easily retract messages.

But we want to know what you did before.

How far have you gone to make sure that your message was never read? Over the next week, we want to hear your accidental message horror stories. Share your best and worst in the comments below or on Twitter @BBM using the hashtag #WishICouldRetract.

I’ll get you started. Here’s one way to “retract” messages without BBM. It’s the first in a series showing the extremes used to take back control over instant messages – we definitely recommend you just update your BBM.

BBM Channels are really taking off, and we’re starting to see retailers use them for more than just connecting with customers. Song of the Week is a new iTunes channel available in Canada, Indonesia, the UK, and the US where you can discover, listen to, and buy music. And two retailers, Amazon and Qoo10, have launched “deals” channels that each offer steep discounts on selected merchandise.

These channels have officially brought “social commerce” to BBM. Social commerce is simply giving people the ability to purchase products through social media, along with the ability to share information and reviews about products they’ve bought. It’s adding a sales channel to what has already become a powerful word-of-mouth media channel.

The time for social commerce has arrived. People are spending increasing amounts of time on social media, particularly on mobile. A recent report from Business Insider determined the average is about 37 minutes per person per day in the US — higher than any other Internet activity, including email. Globally, another study showed that people in the most-engaged countries spend 7-11 hours per month on social networking.

These are all the reasons that social commerce is the next logical step for BBM and retailers alike.

Song of the Week

Every Tuesday, we post a new song in our Song of the Week channels. The channels are available to people on BlackBerry, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone operating systems in Canada (C0043D0A0), Indonesia (C004B244B), the UK (C0042E650), and the US (C003BE124). Everyone can click through to see the song, album, and artist at the iTunes store. Those on iOS will also be able to purchase through the iTunes store on their device.

Amazon Deals

Through Amazon’s country-specific Deals channels for Canada (C00210535), the US (C0028F4B5), and UK (C0016F386), consumers can click all the way through to complete a purchase.

If you like what’s on offer, you simply tap the “Buy Now” link, which takes you to the mobile version of your local Amazon site. You land on a page with the daily deal, plus related merchandise. From the BBM Channel, you can also “like” or repost on your own channel.

Qoo10 Channels Increase Subscribers 26X

Qoo10 is one of the fastest-growing online marketplaces in the world, poised to challenge Amazon and eBay to be #1 in Asia. The company is taking a similar approach with its channels for Indonesia (C001CFCB0) and Malaysia (C00280617). Each one offers special deals on deeply discounted products every few hours instead of just once a day.

Recently, Qoo10 worked closely with our BBM advertising team to promote its channel to Indonesian BBM users through ad placements that included sponsored posts, sponsored invites, and featured tiles. After a 10-week campaign, Qoo10 saw a 26X increase in its subscriber base.

Expect to see more of this activity in BBM Channels in the coming months. We’re approaching social commerce in the same way we’ve set up the BBM Shop, which works through users’ accounts on BlackBerry World, iTunes, Google Play, or Windows Phone Store. We’re not looking to set up a separate account, but rather to let you use the ones you already have and trust.

In Good Company

We’re in good company, as there are a lot of one-click commerce announcements across all of the social media platforms. In July, Facebook added a “Buy” button to the ads and page posts of a select few small business sites. Twitter announced a similar pilot program in September, which adds a “Buy” button to tweets.

As BlackBerry Passport made its official debut on Wednesday, the device that enables mobile professionals to Work Wide generated a huge reaction among the digirati: tech journalists and bloggers, analysts and other influencers. Besides dominating the front page of tech news aggregator Techmeme, it also was a top Twitter trend in the United States and Canada.

“BlackBerry’s explanation for the design makes sense: The display shows 60 characters of text at a readable size and shows enough depth in a document to get context, making it the best I’ve seen for reviewing and annotating documents,” he wrote. Fortt also thought that Android apps “ran smoothly” on the BlackBerry and that its size was a non-issue.//

“Skeptics of the shape will question how it fits in a pocket, but it slips in about as easily as its namesake, the universally pocketable passport,” Fortt said. “It will be a snug fit in skinny jeans, but this phone won’t bend in there—unlike the iPhone 6 Plus.”

In a piece for Computerworld magazine, reporter Matt Hamblen quoted several analysts, including Rob Enderle of Enderle Group, Maribel Lopez, an analyst at Lopez Research, and Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates.

Rob Enderle lauded the keyboard. “The advantage of a physical keyboard is that you can blind type, which means you can keep your eyes where they are supposed to be and with quick glances can still get that email or text sent out . . . The Passport will be a great tool for those that are still wedded to a keyboard and want a more cutting-edge phone.”

“QWERTY keyboards are highly underrated,” echoed Maribel Lopez. “While they seem old school, they’re very useful. Millennials might like the device because it could be perceived as retro cool.”

Meanwhile, Jack Gold recognized the appeal for business professionals, saying, “Passport is aimed squarely at enterprise users . . . Its unique form factor is optimized for document creation and editing, so BlackBerry is targeting really heavy Office-type users and its core messaging users. Passport . . . could give BlackBerry a boost in its enterprise installed base.”

Jack Gold separately noted that some commentators criticizing the BlackBerry Passport didn’t understand its intended business professional audience:

“This latest handset launch shows that it’s back to business for BlackBerry – and what a smart move that is. Business handsets are where BlackBerry started, and this phone could be its Passport back from the youth messenger market – and all the bad PR that came with their love of BBM,” uSwitch analyst Rob Kerr told Mobile News in an article headlined ‘Analysts Quick to Praise BlackBerry Passport.‘ “After a year away from the UK market, a return to Blighty with a keyboard-based smartphone is a move that plays to BlackBerry’s strengths, and shows it has finally understood what people liked about its early phones.”

Meanwhile, CCS Insight chief of research Ben Wood told the Financial Times that “this is definitely a marmite product – based on our experience so far people either love the design or are a little perplexed by the size and shape.” Wood called the BlackBerry Passport “distinctive” and added that “after 18 months of disruption the strategy that new CEO John Chen has laid out seems to be taking hold. The business has stabilised and the Passport device is a critical milestone in efforts to rebuild the business.”

Another CCS analyst Shaun Collins told the BBC that the BlackBerry Passport “certainly made me respond more eloquently to emails rather than just triaging them with a ‘Yes, no, I’ll call you back or see you later’…it gives you the BlackBerry experience on steroids.”

“This is really built to appeal to the business customer,” said Bloomberg Intelligence’s John Butler. The BlackBerry Passport can succeed if it captures a slice of BlackBerry’s core audience of 50 million, he added.

Journalists Call this a “Great” Phone

In a review for the Register, Andrew Orlowski writes, “The key difference of the Passport, apart from its striking shape, is that the its QWERTY keyboard doubles as a capacitive multitouch trackpad. This gives you two main advantages over the generic rectangular smartphone that aren’t immediately obvious from the pictures. Firstly, when editing text, the phone doesn’t move in your hands, and your attention doesn’t switch quite so much. Note “hands” – plural: this is a two-handed device. I particularly enjoyed being able to select and manipulate blocks of text very quickly,” he wrote.

CIO’s Lynn Greiner wrote: “Videos look great on the wider screen too, and the stereo speakers even do justice to music like Beethoven’s Ode to Joy . . . Bottom line: this is a great phone . . . [T]he functionality is solid, the feature set comprehensive, and performance strong. It definitely puts BlackBerry back in the game.”

“[The BlackBerry Passport’s battery] is huge (big phones beget big batteries) and it had no trouble lasting a full day for me,” wrote The Verge’s Dan Seifert. “Many times, I could get well into day two without having to plug it in. That’s great: it’s hard to get any work done if your iPhone is begging for a charge at 3PM.”

Mashable’s Pete Pachal wrote, “Once you get past the strange form factor and the unusual way the keyboard works, you can find the powerful device beneath those first impressions. The touchpad can improve your experience in some subtle ways; you don’t know how much screen space your fingers cover while scrolling until they’re gone.”

The Star’s Raju Mudhar was impressed by a number of features, writing, “In terms of the software, Blackberry’s OS 10.3 . . . is very solid and has some interesting productivity features. One thing the company does better than its competitors is multi-tasking, with its BlackBerry Hub feature, [which] remains one of their top selling points . . . Their messaging history is also evident, with a swipe from the left of the screen bringing up all the messaging options including BBM, text messages and emails. The selling point is that the wider screen can accommodate 60 characters (most devices are around 40), and browsing Twitter on this device is very good.”

Mudhar also notes the battery: “I got through almost two work days of fairly heavy usage and it comes with a huge battery (3450 mAh).”

Engadget‘s Brad Mullen wrote, “Overall, my first impressions of the Passport are better than I expected. The device is built well and the keyboard is comfortable.”

And it Goes On and On…

“It’s rare now for any smartphone to have a true new iconic form factor, but BlackBerry Passport has just such an iconic innovative design.” Ian Fogg, IHS, Mobile World Live.

Hootsuite is excited to announce an exclusive integration with BBM Channels, a messaging platform for conversations between people, brands and communities. Built on the cross-platform BBM instant messaging service, BBM Channels enables brands to engage directly with mobile audiences across BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.

Mobile messaging apps are becoming increasingly popular for group chat, photo sharing, and video conversations, so it’s no surprise that brands are looking for ways to engage with their fans and followers in the messaging apps they use every day. Now with the BBM Channels app for Hootsuite, social media, community, and marketing managers can engage with BBM Channels communities in the Hootsuite dashboard alongside their social networks. This allows them to save time, work more efficiently, and drive greater community engagement. Publish messages and photos, interact with your followers, and moderate user content on as many BBM Channels as you like—all within Hootsuite.

The app is free for all Hootsuite users and BBM Channel owners, and is now available in the Hootsuite App Directory.

Share social posts to your Channel and vice versa

The BBM Channels app for Hootsuite makes it easy to incorporate your BBM Channel strategy into your overall social media initiatives. You’re now able to share posts from Twitter and Facebook directly to your BBM Channel with just a few clicks, so you can always keep your Channel up-to-date with the most immersive content and conversations. Alternatively, when a particular photo or update creates a high volume of replies and likes within your BBM Channel community, you can quickly re-post the content on Twitter or Facebook to further amplify the message and drive engagement on those networks as well.

“Both social media and messaging channels have been a powerful tool for FC Barcelona to engage with our large active global fan base. By bringing together Hootsuite and BBM Channels, FC Barcelona team now has a way to bring their Channels content into their social media workflow to expand the reach of brand and user-generated content. The ability to be more social as an organization is integral for our success, and we expect nothing less.” —Dídac Lee, FC Barcelona Board Member, Technology Area Director

Moderate user content

Comments from subscribers can bring your BBM Channel community to life, but monitoring comments for offensive or inappropriate content can be time consuming. The BBM Channels app for Hootsuite allows you to moderate user content more efficiently by bringing it into your Hootsuite dashboard with your other social networks. You can filter a BBM Channel stream to display Pending Content or Flagged Content, and then quickly accept or delete comments.

Track engagement and follower growth

As you grow your BBM Channel, it’s vital to know how your subscribers are interacting with your content. With the BBM Channels app for Hootsuite, you can see at a glance how many visits are converting to likes, comments, and reads, and whether your daily engagement rates are increasing.

The channel analytics also reveal which sources are driving your subscriber growth, so you can optimize your paid and organic acquisition strategies to focus on the best methods. In addition, you can look beyond overall subscriber numbers to see how many people are joining and leaving your Channel community each day. With this data, you’ll be able to optimize not only for subscriber acquisition, but retention, as well.

Manage your Channel

Take control of your BBM Channel from the convenience of your Hootsuite dashboard. You can edit your channel settings to create the best experience for yourself and your community. For example, you can update your Channel description or picture to promote a new campaign, or temporarily disable comments to protect your audience.

BlackBerry Passport’s boundary-breaking design and oversized 1,440×1,440 screen resonated with many writers. “One of the obvious reasons for BlackBerry Passport’s square form factor is the need for innovation,” wrote Softpedia’s Cosmin Vasile. “In a market where design matters a lot, BlackBerry found out that there weren’t too many square handsets available and has decided to go for it.”

TechCrunch’s Darrell Etheringon agreed. “BlackBerry is at least taking a different approach to the smartphone/tablet/whatever-mobile-computer, the design of all which has been largely normalized over the past few years.”

Even BGR’s Brad Reed was moved to write that “the BlackBerry Passport wasn’t designed for iSheep and Fandroids who want to play Candy Crush all day — it’s for people who want to do real work, and that means having a physical keyboard that can fire off emails like no other phone.”

Predictably, some publications took a cautious approach to the BlackBerry Passport’s innovations, opting to defend a status quo dominated by an endless conveyor belt of entertainment-driven, homogenous devices.

Besides the media coverage, the number of reader comments indicated the strong interest. BGR’s post drew 170+ comments; the Ars post drew more than 240 comments, while Engadget’s blog drew nearly 380 comments. Let’s not forget the 120+ comments at our blog as well as the combined 800 comments at CrackBerry!

These comments tended towards the passionate and insightful.

“As a matter of fact the touch-sensitive physical keyboard is certainly far more inventive than anything Apple or the Android camp so far managed to pull up when it comes to text entry,” commented one reader of The Register’s piece.

Besides reporting a $23 million profit, our total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments grew 16% ($429 million) to $3.1 billion, up from $2.7 billion at the end of the previous quarter.

Operating expenses have been reduced by 57% year over year and 13% quarter over quarter, making BlackBerry more nimble and better able to respond to changes in the market.

CNET said, “CEO John Chen’s efforts are having a positive effect,” while ZDNet wrote “BlackBerry is in the midst of turning from hardware to services, and the restructuring appears to be fruitful.”

Yahoo Finance: “Chen has laid out a credible game plan for a recovery while removing costs and reducing risk by outsourcing some manufacturing.”

“Chen should be congratulated for accomplishing what Palm was unable to do: transition its business into something sustainable,” said Mashable’s Christina Warren. “Even if that means the resulting company is smaller and more focused, at least BlackBerry is showing signs of staying in business.”

Wall Street analysts are also bullish. On Barrons.com, Evercore analyst Mark McKechie said of BlackBerry, “[The] turnaround efforts have been extraordinary.”

Barron’s also quoted RBC Capital Markets’s Mark Sue, who revised his price target upward by a dollar: “BlackBerry’s making progress in its turnaround and the path to cash-flow break-even looks within reach. Service declines are slowing, handsets are nearly profitable, a new round of hardware is about to be launched, and enterprises are giving BlackBerry a chance.”

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/06/media-pundits-hail-blackberrys-strong-progress/feed/0John ChenwordsmithtechguyJohn ChenFor Ryan and Keian Blundellhttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/05/for-ryan-and-keian-blundell/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/05/for-ryan-and-keian-blundell/#commentsThu, 08 May 2014 13:39:48 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=19973/ Read More]]>Ryan Blundell’s blog, ‘Thank You BlackBerry,’ published on Wednesday in CrackBerry about his 6-year-old son, Keian, really touched me. Ryan’s a longtime writer for CrackBerry, though due to Keian’s illness, he hadn’t contributed much for the past 18 months, after his son was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
For anyone, it’s a difficult story to read. For me, a fellow dad of two gadget-crazy boys just a little bit older than Keian, it was easy to imagine the rawness of Ryan’s pain five months after his son’s death. It virtually leapt out of the monitor.

At the same time, the descriptions of the two bonding over their BlackBerry devices also hit close to home, though in a warm, funny way:

[Keian] had a dummy unit Curve 8310 that he pretended to use and would grab ours when he had the chance. I’m not making this up when he said that he wanted to have a Z10 when he grew up, just like daddy. I told him about the recently released Z30 (at the time) and he decided he wanted a better BlackBerry smartphone than me.

I was also cheered by Ryan’s descriptions of how BlackBerry devices and services like BBM helped he and his wife to share news with relatives and friends, research medicines for Keian, as well as document beautiful moments:

Our BlackBerry smartphones helped us capture Keian in dozens of voice notes, hundreds of videos and thousands of pictures. They helped us share our laughter, smiles, fears and sorrows through social media. They kept us in contact with friends and family. They allowed us to jot down terminology, treatments and more with little effort. They helped us focus less on all of that and more on time with Keian.

Ryan’s blog was read by many of us inside BlackBerry, including our CEO, John Chen. On behalf of BlackBerry, John expressed his condolences on Ryan’s blog. You can read it here, along with nearly 250 other supportive comments on Ryan’s blog. That’s a testimony to the character and fellowship of the CrackBerry/BlackBerry community.

We’ve also made a donation to the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice in Vancouver where Keian spent the last several months of his life. And for Keian and the love of technology he shared with his dad, we plan to internally codename an upcoming device in his honor.

While we at BlackBerry love to talk about how our devices can make you more productive at your job, we know that’s not the be-all, end-all. Keian’s story is a reminder to cherish the things you have outside of your job: good friends, fine health, a happy family. We work to live, not live to work, after all.

If you’re using a BlackBerry 10 device and love spending time on Twitter, we’ve got a nice treat for you to kick off the month of May. That’s right, an update to the Twitter app for BlackBerry 10 has arrived. With it comes exciting new features and enhancements that allow you to connect, express yourself, and discover what’s happening.

For me, Twitter is always one of my favorite ways to stay on top interests that I love. I use it to connect with people and get unfiltered access and unique behind-the-scenes perspectives. I share photos, videos and comments with my followers right from my BlackBerry Z30. I also am always among the first to know as I discover what’s happening and get real-time stories, conversations, ideas and inspiration live in my timeline.

What’s new in Twitter v10.3 for BlackBerry 10:

Draft Tweet support so you can save that spur-of-the-moment thought for later if you get distracted.

Swipeable Timeline to ‘Activity’ and ‘Discover’ tabs for quicker access to content

Multiple photo enhancements – Photos In Direct Message, toggle pictures on/off in the home timeline, and retake picture option in case that magic moment was less than perfect.

Age gating – updating with a tool to verify a fellow user’s age when following accounts that require age gating

This release also features performance improvements to help you access your content faster.

The Holidays are an important time for communicating. Whether you’re checking in with loved ones, or staying connected with friends around the globe, we’ve updated the Twitter app for BlackBerry 10 to make it that much better. Designed to be the best way to stay connected to Twitter on your BlackBerry 10 device, the Twitter app for BlackBerry 10 v10.2.2 comes packed with new features:

Twitter v 10.2.2 Highlights:

Home Timeline Photo Preview – Tweets with Twitter photos let you be part of the moment. Image thumbnails are now displayed on the Home timeline for all pic.twitter.com images – just tap the image to reveal the full screen version.

BBM™ Connected – If you love BBM and Twitter, you’ll love this update. Now Tweet and update your BBM™ status at the same time.

Reply within Tweets – It’s now easier to reply to Tweets with a built-in Tweet composer that appears when you tap to see details of a Tweet.

Improved Search – Now relevant accounts will appear in search after you enter your query.

Report spam or abuse by clicking on the Tweet details screen.

This release also features performance improvements to help you access your content faster.

Twitter version 10.2.2 is available globally for handsets running BlackBerry 10 version 10.0 or higher.
*Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for releases of new app versions to appear on BlackBerry World.

Good news Team BlackBerry, the new Twitter app for BlackBerry 10 is being released today*. If you’re brand new to Twitter or an old pro, the updates in Twitter 10.2.1 are designed to heighten your Twitter experience. The personalized trends feature in this newest update is perfect for finding new people to follow and new conversations to be a part of.

Check out the list of key new Twitter app features below and be sure to stop by the BlackBerry World storefront on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone to download the updated app.

New Twitter App Features:

View, Create and Subscribe to Lists - Lists are an easy way to keep track of accounts that Tweet about subjects relevant to your interests. You can now view, create, subscribe, and edit Twitter lists from your BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

Enhanced personalization and recommendations – You can now see trends based on personal interests and location. When you search for a topic in the trends section, the app is designed to show you people to follow based on the topic and conversations around the topic. You can also see trends for a particular location (eg. Canada, US, Cape Town, etc.).

See more photos - Scroll through tweeted images in the photo image gallery.

Learn about even more fascinating people when you visit profiles. The app now showcases other cool accounts to follow based on the person’s profile you’re viewing.

New icon indicates tweets with video

DM message status in the app now syncs across all your devices and Twitter accounts.

View recent Tweets in an Active Frame (while the Twitter app is minimized on the Home screen).

Twitter version 10.2.1 is available globally for handsets running BlackBerry 10 version 10.0 or higher. *Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for releases of new app versions to appear on BlackBerry World.

BlackBerry 10 users get ready because a big update to the Twitter app for BlackBerry 10 lands today. Whether you’re a heavy user, or just a fledgling Twitter fan– the update to Twitter version 10.2 brings new features and a refreshed design to improve the experience. For me personally, I love the new photo save option and the ability to add multiple accounts, so I can balance all of my Twitter personas in one convenient place.

Check out the list of highlighted features below and be sure to swing by BlackBerry World on your BlackBerry 10 device to download the updated app.

The new Twitter for BlackBerry 10 smartphones version 10.2 includes:

Multiple Accounts – With Twitter 10.2 you can now add additional Twitter accounts within the app.

Direct Message – Twitter 10.2 allows you to view, reply and send new Direct Messages right within the app.

Discover – Twitter 10.2 offers a new Discover page that delivers a stream of Tweets, accounts to follow and more. Simply pull to refresh or scroll to see more and discover even more fascinating people to follow. Plus the Activity page provides a view into what the people you are following are doing on Twitter including who they’re following and what tweets they’re favoriting.

Among my favorite apps for BlackBerry OS 5 and higher devices, is the Twitter app. It’s an ideal way to stay connected with your Twitter network. Today, I’m happy to let you know that BlackBerry has released a new version of the app for those of you who have a BlackBerry device running BlackBerry OS 5 and higher. With it, it brings some new features designed to be appreciated by new users and seasoned social media veterans alike. The Twitter 4.2 app for BlackBerry smartphones will be available as a free download in the BlackBerry World storefront starting today. Check out some of the top features that will help you express yourself and stay connected.

Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones version 4.2 features:

Image Viewing Enhancements – For those of you who love to stay in touch with a quick snapshot, you can now view more photos in the Twitter app for BlackBerry

Retweet/Favorite Indicators – The latest Twitter update makes it easier for you to see what you’ve selected as a favorite or retweeted in your timeline. Tweets are now color marked in the top right hand corner of the Tweet.

Additional Timeline Details - Visual indicators are now displayed so you can see more information in your timeline like who replied, their location, and if an article summary is available.

Similar Profile Suggestions – We’ve added profile suggestions, so you can discover even more fascinating people when you view profiles. Under the profile tab, the app showcases other accounts to follow based on the person’s profile that you’re currently viewing.

Please be aware the app update may take up to 24 hours to appear in the BlackBerry World storefront.

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/06/blackberry-twitter-update-42/feed/0donnyhalliwellTwitter for BlackBerry 4.2Twitter 4.2 for BlackBerry smartphonesProfile suggestions - Twitter for BlackBerryTwitter and LinkedIn apps Updated for BlackBerry 10 Smartphoneshttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/05/linkedin-twitter-update/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/05/linkedin-twitter-update/#commentsThu, 09 May 2013 16:02:23 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=16892/ Read More]]>Woohoo! For all you social media fiends out there, we’re keeping the updates flowing. Both the Twitter and LinkedIn apps will be receiving an update for BlackBerry 10 smartphones today. The apps will be available for free download in the BlackBerry World storefront. These enhanced apps make it easier than ever to stay connected and do more with your social and professional contacts, while on the go.

I’m sure you can’t wait to check out some of the new features and enhancements you can look forward to when you pick them up. Check out all the details below.

New Features for Twitter version 10.0.3/10.1.3

Enjoy more content with Universal Search –See more content when you’re searching. You’ll be able to view related profiles, tweets and top tweets, photos and relevant searches all on one page.

Always Fresh Content – Content that is always fresh and up to date. Automatic caching gives you the current information at your fingertips without having to manually refresh your tabs.

New Features for LinkedIn version 10.0.3/10.1.3

Find your current contacts on LinkedIn: With the latest update, you can import the personal address book from your BlackBerry 10 device to LinkedIn, making it easier to view and connect to your contacts on LinkedIn.

UI improvements: We’ve updated the overall design of the LinkedIn application for BlackBerry 10 to improve the user experience. These updates include improved visual styling, better pull down functionalities for refreshes, touch down feedback on clicking list items, and more.

Follow and learn about companies :An important element of LinkedIn is the ability to connect to companies and subscribe for company related updates and content. The latest version of LinkedIn for BlackBerry 10 allows you to view information about the companies you follow in greater detail, such as:

How you’re connected

About

Jobs

Similar Companies

News & Updates

Other Updates: We’ve made quite a few additional updates to LinkedIn for BlackBerry 10. These include inbox enhancements, deleting and archiving messages, people search improvements, and the ability to update your profile photo from within the app. To get all the details, visit the official app page on the BlackBerry World application storefront.

I’ve got some awesome news for those of you who just picked up your new BlackBerry Z10 in the US and for you old pros around the globe. Facebook and Twitter have been updated for BlackBerry 10. What I love, is that with each update, we’ve added some new features that make it easier for you to stay connected and do more with social media on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Check out each section below for a summary of new features and improvements and be sure to swing by the BlackBerry World storefront where each of these updates are available as a free download.

Facebook version 10.0.1 New Features

Friends Nearby – Now, Facebook for BlackBerry 10 allows you to discover if your Facebook friends are nearby. You’ll be able to see when they’ve checked in on Facebook to a location that’s close to where you are.

Photo Updates – There are new ways of interacting with your Facebook photos. Now you can now easily add photo tags to a photo you’re uploading within the Facebook application. Plus if you like that photo or funny picture your friend just shared on Facebook, you now have the ability save Facebook photos locally on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

Events – This improvement is designed to make it even easier to plan and keep track of your events. You can now view and respond to events, invite your friends to attend, create and view posts on the event wall, post photos, and even tag guests.

Sharing – Sharing information is at the core of BlackBerry 10 and now it easier than ever to share what matters to you with all of your contacts. Using the BlackBerry 10 share framework, you can now easily share links from your Facebook newsfeed to BBM, email, SMS, Facebook Twitter, and others.

Twitter version 10.0.2 New Features

Your Connect Tab – View all interactions in one place, including new follows, favorites and mentions.

Enjoy More Content – Take a look at photos, article summaries and other updates within your Tweets.

Added Perspective – See the number of times a Tweet has been favorited.

Check out these updates now and get tweeting, liking and sharing on your BlackBerry Z10.

Sports, drama, reality shows or political events – you name it, someone is tweeting about it. A UK-based blog revealed that 40 percent of evening traffic on Twitter is TV-related, and a video on the official Twitter blog says many TV-related conversations happen through #hashtags, @replies to the program or other users, or through “curated tweets” that get pulled into chats moderated by news networks and blogs.

When I see a program being talked about on Twitter, I’m more likely to watch it, or at least check it out. And when I’m watching TV, I typically have the Twitter app open on my BlackBerry Z10 or Blaq for my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet so I can watch the online conversations happening in real time. It’s fun reading the trash-talk during sporting events and it’s a great way to track the score while on the go. I also love reading and commenting about plot twists and character mishaps during primetime – just no #spoilers please!

Do you tweet with your TV on? Let us know what programs you watch in the comments below!

Even though BlackBerry 10 has launched, there are a lot of you out there looking for BlackBerry 7 OS tips. Today we’ve got tips for the Social Feeds app. How do you get your news? We’ve looked at people who get their news via their BlackBerry devices, but what about social networks? What’s the first thing you do when a huge news story breaks? For me, I check the RSS Feeds tab on my Social Feeds app and then tab over to see what the reaction is on Twitter and Facebook.

The Social Feeds App is like a Puppy

Available on BlackBerry 6 OS devices and later, the Social Feeds app does a great job of giving you a view of what’s happening in the world via RSS, social networks, and podcasts. Over on the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog, Ty has a solid blog post on how to set up Social Feeds, but I want to focus on how you can train it for maximum awesomeness — just like a puppy.

Stay: The Flagged Items feature lets you save an update or feed for viewing later. Facebook feed tells you it’s your anniversary? Flag it so you can remember to pick up a gift, or else prepare to download the “I’m sorry” app.

Fetch: Filter results based on very specific keywords (“Walnut double-chocolate brownies” instead of “brownies”) for smarter results. Since you can search across all feeds, it saves a ton of time over searching Facebook or Twitter individually.

Roll Over: Social Feeds also allows you to login to bit.ly to shorten links on the fly. Business users that rely on bit.ly for analytics will find this feature especially helpful.

Lay Down: Click the “Do not show here” button on any feed you’re not using to make it faster to swipe across the social landscape. This is your Social Feeds puppy; take out the stuff you’re not using.

I’m hoping that these quick training tips will help speed up your use of Social Feeds, or at least provide you with the inspiration to share your Social Feeds power tips in the comments below. Mmm, walnut double-chocolate brownies.

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/02/social-feeds/feed/0donnyhalliwellSocial FeedsFive Pic Friday: BlackBerry App Photographyhttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2012/11/five-pic-friday-app-photography/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2012/11/five-pic-friday-app-photography/#commentsFri, 30 Nov 2012 15:29:37 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=14915]]>It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a professional photographer – when it comes to snapping pics with your BlackBerry smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, the right app can help you take your photography skills to the next level. BlackBerry World is full of powerful apps that can handle just about anything you can imagine when it comes to taking and editing your mobile snapshots!

To give you guys a better idea of what BlackBerry photo apps can do, we’re using this month’s Five Pic Friday to showcase some breathtaking BlackBerry app photography provided by some of our Twitter followers. You can find a handful of these pictures below – the rest are on our BlackBerry Flickr® Page. Check it out!

I’m a sports fanatic, and over the past few years I’ve noticed there’s a new game in sports. Sports teams, organizations, athletes, and even fantasy leagues are all online, using social media, chat forums, websites and more to captivate fans before, during and after games. If thumb typing were a sport, I’m pretty sure I could be the champion.

With football season in full swing both in North America and abroad, I’m amazed to see how fans interact with their favorite teams and players on social media. Want to check the score of the latest match? There are many sports apps that can help you out, but some might find it more useful to check Twitter® or Facebook®, for color commentary from passionate likeminded fans. You can also become a real armchair coach by tweeting with individual players to comment on that beauty touchdown, or to chirp that dreadful botched pass. Football is far from the only sport to go social – we’re seeing it everywhere:

Throughout last baseball season, BlackBerry ® sponsored the Blue Jays BlackBerry Tweeting Tuesday program, where fans submit photos and explain why they should be called “Fan of the Game.” Not only does the winner receive digital glory, but they are highlighted on Canadian national TV after the game.

Many consider World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE®), to be the Holy Grail for fan engagement. With more than 115 million followers across its social media channels – 10 million fans on Facebook alone – it has as firm a hold on its digital fanbase as its players do on their opponents.

FOX Sports™ hired eight full-time employees dedicated to social media during NFL games this season. Whether good or bad, if an athlete tweets it, Fox knows about it. It certainly proved effective during the widely discussed substitute referee incidents early in the season.

Using social media applications on your BlackBerry device allows you to not only follow, but also to engage with your favorite teams and athletes. Which teams and players are you following? Do you have any tricks on engaging with them on your BlackBerry device? Let us know in the comment section below.

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2012/11/blackberry-sports-apps/feed/0donnyhalliwellBlackBerry sports appsFive Pic Friday – Festive Fall Photographyhttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2012/10/five-pic-friday-fall-photos/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2012/10/five-pic-friday-fall-photos/#commentsFri, 26 Oct 2012 14:16:24 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=14640]]>As October ushered in a wave of crisp weather and turning leaves, it’s safe to say that fall is here. To celebrate, we’re dedicating this month’s Five Pic Friday blog post to the season of change! Our talented fans have captured the true spirit of the season by snapping pictures of vibrant fall foliage, heaping piles of pumpkins, and vivid autumn sunsets with their BlackBerry ® smartphones. We rounded up five of these autumn-inspired pictures below, but be sure to check out the rest of our Festive Fall BlackBerry Photography on our BlackBerry Flickr® Page.